When can you feel baby?

[xosara]

I was just wondering.. I am 16 weeks today, and I was wondering when can I feel baby when I touch my belly? I lay down at night, and put my hands on my lower abdomen, and push down about an inch or so and wait to see if I can feel baby move, but I cannot. I think I can feel baby move, like rolling, but when I touch and push, I can't. When will I be able to? This is my first baby..if that matters.

[cameragirl]

It may be a few weeks. Your body size can make a difference, too. Do you feel kicks from the inside yet?

[cappuccinosmom]

Well, in spite of being very fat, I've felt some of my babies (internally) very early, and this one I just felt from the outside (hand on my stomach) last night--at about 17 weeks.

A lot depends on your baby's position and where the placenta is, too.

Also, babies are all different.  Some are very avoidant of anything pressing into their space (hands, doppler, ultrasound wand), and others are, for lack of a better word, "interested" and may kick directly at that spot.  At about 20 weeks with my first child, dh had his arm draped over my belly as we were falling asleep, and I could feel that baby exploring all along the length of dh's arm, and then a very strong kick right to it.  Dh was amazed. :)

[xosara]

I'm not sure if they are kicks, or just moving around.

[Kyamo]

Originally Posted by xosara 

I'm not sure if they are kicks, or just moving around.

I was feeling that for about 1.5 weeks before I felt an obvious kick, which was at 17 weeks. For me, the obvious kicks can be felt from the outside, the smaller movements can't.

ETA: I have a posterior placenta.
Edited by Kyamo - 10/2/11 at 6:40am

[cameragirl]

I don't remember when we felt them outside last time...I can feel pushing on my uterus when I massage the round ligaments, though.

[xosara]

I can feel my uterus when I push on it, but that's it.

[treehugginhippie]

This is my 3rd and I haven't felt much movement from inside since 10 weeks. And I haven't felt it from the outside yet either. The placenta moved and I feel almost nothing. I'm 15 weeks. Last pregnancy, I was definately feeling consistent movement at this point. Looking forward to feeling definate movement soon :)

[AshHall07]

During my first pregnancy I felt my son kicking when I put my hand on my tummy for the first time at around 20 weeks.. Right now, I am 16 weeks and I can feel that rolling/fluttering feeling occasionally, starting about a week or so ago, but haven't felt anything from the outside just yet...

[Cellist]

I was about 16.5 weeks with my first pregnancy when I could feel movement.  It was more like 17.5 weeks this time and about 18.5 weeks when we could feel from the outside this time (we're just at 19 weeks now).  DH felt his first outside kick last night!

[lizsky]

With my 1st, I didn't feel movement until 22 weeks- when I got my 20 week ultrasound the tech told me my placenta's position was likely the reason I wasn't feeling anything yet.  This time I've been feeling flutters since 16 weeks and today (17.5 weeks) I felt a solid kick.

[cameragirl]

Dh is able to palpate my belly and feel the firmness where the baby is. You can tell a difference from the other side of my uterus, where it gives a little more. He hasn't really felt any kicks yet, though. Just a little fluttering and the shape of his body. DD swears up and down that she can feel the baby, but I think she wants to so bad that she does, ya know?

The strange thing is that if I put my laptop near my belly button, I can sometimes feel the keyboard move when he kicks.